 |
| Auburndale's Mark Tauscher. Internet image - Wikipedia |
I became aware of him during his time playing for Wisconsin as he worked his way into the starting lineup in his senior season.
He was drafted in the 7th round of the draft and took advantage of his opportunity when the starting right tackle was injured and he stepped in and became a fixture on the right end of the line for 11 seasons.
We lived in Augusta while he was at the University of Wisconsin. Tauscher's hometown, Auburndale, is an hour away and a small town we passed frequently on our trips east, so he was easy to cheer.
The summer between his final season for Wisconsin and joining the Packers, I had taken my car to Osseo Ford to get its 3,000 mile oil change. The appointment was in their brand new location, so I checked it out.
When I came around a corner there was a big man with a youthful appearance sitting at a card table., it was Mark Tauscher.
He was early for a scheduled appearance at the dealership. We chatted briefly and I headed back to the waiting room impressed with his friendly demeanor and by his work ethic demonstrated by showing up early.
As I watched, he became a reliable starter protecting Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers and being part of a Super Bowl winning team. After football Tauscher has been an astute business man and broadcaster. He has a daily three hour sports talk show he co-hosts with football writer Jason Wilde that's pretty good; in addition he fills in on ESPN radio and works as a football analyst.
He is the first former Badger to be inducted into the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame and a successful business owner. Twenty years later, I'm still a fan.
Comments
Post a Comment